Page 31 of Between the Lines

“Yeah...” It was no more than a breath, a groan, Luca’s body tensing, the tendons on his forearm standing out, lips slack. Close.

Turning his head, Theo breathed into Luca’s sea-damp hair, lips brushing his ear. “I want to see.”

Luca groaned, hips jerking forward. “Yes.”

“I want to watch when you—”

“Fuck,yes.” Luca came with a harsh grunt, back bowing as he spilled warm over Theo’s fingers and thigh, body twitching until he fell forward, half sprawled over Theo, his forehead coming to rest on his shoulder with a small, shivering laugh. “Christ, Theo...”

Theo laughed, too, ran his fingers through Luca’s hair, over the firm muscles of his shoulders and along his back, loving his solidity and strength. Comforted by his weight. He wanted to hold him there, wanted to drop a kiss on his temple, and give voice to the burgeoning tenderness in his heart. But he held back. No feelings, no expectations: those were the rules. Those were the rules that made thispossible. He couldn’t—wouldn’t—breach them. Not when Luca had been so clear. And if he found his heart swelling with feelings he shouldn’t have, then this time he’d just keep his bloody mouth shut.

After today, they had eight more days. Eight more glorious days.

There was no point in thinking about what came after because, for now, there was only this: the coarse sand beneath his heels, the gentle wash of waves against the shore, and the heavy weight of Luca in his arms. And it was enough.

Chapter Eleven

Two days after they’d hooked up on the beach, Luca paused in waxing his board to watch Theo perch on the steps of the Surf Hut, rubbing his hair dry. He looked thoughtful, as he often did, lost in his own mind.

They’d been hanging out constantly the last couple days, either on the beach or around the hotel, and sometimes in town. Luca had even dragged Theo back onto a bodyboard a couple times, and his confidence was growing even if his skill wasn’t. Didn’t matter, though, because Luca could tell Theo was having fun. They were both having fun. He tried not to think too hard about how much fun, or about how fast the days were passing.

“Can I ask you something?” Theo said after a while, interrupting the flow of Luca’s thoughts. He’d snagged one of Luca’s t-shirts when they’d gotten out of the water. It hung a little wide on his shoulders and neck, which meant Luca could peek at the elegant arc of collarbone that drove him so nuts. Beach bum was a good look on Theo. “Earth to Luca?”

“Sorry.” He grinned and waggled his eyebrows. “Got distracted by your hotness.”

Theo flushed—“Shut up”—and flung his wet towel at Luca.

He caught it with a laugh. “Hey, take a compliment, man.” Theo didn’t reply and Luca let the silence ride for a beat, then said, “So what was the question?”

Theo dragged his fingers through his hair—it was salty from the water, clumping into heavy curls, and Luca wanted to touch it. He pretty much wanted to touch Theo all the time. But then Theo said, “What’s up between you and Don?” and the rising heat fell away.

He cut his gaze back to his board, focusing on keeping the wax away from the rails. “What makes you think something’s up?” His voice sounded harder than he’d have liked, but he couldn’t talk about Don. Henevertalked about Don.

Theo shrugged, looked down at his feet. Those deck shoes had seen some action in the last couple days and didn’t look quite so catalogue-perfect now, all scuffed and sandy. Much like Theo. “I’m not totally oblivious to the way you avoid each other,” he said. “And I was wondering whether Don’s the reason you don’t want to take over at the Majestic.” He glanced up. “It’s obviously what Jude wants.”

“I know.” He went back to his board, turning the wax block onto its side and circling it around and around. The trick to waxing your board well was to get the wax nice and thick where you were going to put your feet, or your chest when you were lying down. You had to know your board well, your body position well. And you had to take the time to do it properly.

“It’s okay if you don’t want to tell me,” Theo said, standing up. Sand stuck to his legs and Luca wanted to brush it off, maybe crowd him back into the Surf Hut and kiss him. Or go to his knees and make him come apart, arms and legs flailing. He looked so hot like that and they only had six days, they should make the most of them. “Okay,” Theo said, putting a hand on Luca’s shoulder. “I’m gonna head back and take a shower. I’ve got sand places sand should never be. Are we still on for—?”

“Love the sinner, hate the sin,” Luca said, spitting the words out while he watched his hand circle on the board. “That’s what he told me. And I guess if he wants to be a homophobic asshole that’s his prerogative, but Mommarriedhim. She married him knowing that, and I can’t—” He swallowed, but the lump in his throat wouldn’t budge. “I couldn’t stay after that.”

Theo’s hand tightened on his shoulder, fingers digging in. “No, of course you couldn’t.”

“It felt like betrayal, you know?” He cleared his throat, blinked eyes gone blurry. “Like she’d chosen him over me.”

Theo moved around, trying to look at Luca’s face, but his hip bumped the board, knocking it askew. “Shit, sorry.”

“It’s okay.” Luca steadied the board, but it was Theo he wanted to touch and—And to hell with that. Theo wasn’t hisboyfriendand Luca didn’t need comforting. “Anyway, I guess I wonder whether I’m being a jerk sometimes. Mom was alone for a long time after my dad left, and Don... He looks after her. Makes her happy. And he tries... Fuck, that’s the worst of it.” He puffed out a breath, remembering a dozen awkward encounters back when Don and his mom first started dating. “I mean, not so much anymore—I guess he got the message—but he used to try to be friendly, pal around.” The memories still made him cringe; he’d never wanted anything from Don Brennan except for him to fuck off out of his mom’s life. “It was as if he was trying to prove it wasn’tmehe had a problem with, just the fact I wanted to fuck guys.”

“As if that’s not part of you.”

“Right.” He looked up from his board to find Theo watching him intently, and something about his determined scrutiny drew out a confession. “I know he wanted us to get along, for Mom’s sake. But knowing what he thought about me? I just couldn’t, Theo. I couldn’t live under the same roof as him. I still can’t.”

“Well, why should you? Why the hell should you live with a guy who denies an essential part of your identity? That’s not fair. I totally get why you left.” Theo frowned, head cocked in thought. “But if they went to Miami and you were running the hotel alone...?”

“Working my ass off to fund their retirement, you mean?Hisfucking retirement? I don’t think so.” Luca went back to his waxing, moving the block in small, angry circles. “I cut my ties with this place when they got married and it fuckinghurt. It was like ripping up my roots. And coming back here, that hurts, too. Every damn time. This was my home and they trashed it for me. I won’t act like it doesn’t matter.”

“Then why not let Jude sell up and go? Then you’d never have to come back here.”

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